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Chapter 8. State Indicators

Workforce

Technical Workers as a Percentage of All Occupations



Findings

  • Only 2 states increased in the use of technical workers between 2003 and 2012. The number of technical workers exceeded the number of doctorate holders, engineers, or life and physical scientists in the workforce during this period.
  • Nearly 1.89 million individuals (1.45% of the U.S. workforce) were employed as technical workers in 2012, a decrease from the more than 2 million technical workers employed in 2003, which accounted for 1.61% of the workforce.
  • Individual states showed large differences in the percentage of technical workers in their workforce, with 0.98% to 2.11% of their workforce employed as technical workers in 2012.
  • Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research states tended to have smaller percentages of technical workers in their workforces and accounted in total for 14% of technical workers nationally.


Description

Technical workers include managers in the areas of computer and information science, engineering, or the natural sciences; computer programmers; drafters working in architecture, civil engineering, electronics, or mechanical engineering; and technicians in a wide variety of technical fields. Individuals who work as scientists and engineers are not included in this indicator.

Data on technical occupations and total occupations come from a survey of workplaces that assigns workers to a state based on where they work. Estimates are developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from data provided by state workforce agencies and do not include self-employed persons.

Estimates for states with smaller populations are generally less precise than estimates for states with larger populations.


Data Table

Table 8-39
Technical workers as a percentage of all occupations, by state: 2003, 2008, and 2012
 
Technical workers All occupations Technical workers in
all occupations (%)
State 2003 2008 2012 2003 2008 2012 2003 2008 2012
 
EPSCoR states 260,040 265,140 264,220 19,688,810 21,058,900 20,239,580 1.12 1.38 1.31
Non-EPSCoR states 1,500,680 1,698,500 1,409,960 106,264,140 112,528,090 108,402,850 1.25 1.56 1.30
Average EPSCoR state value na na na na na na 1.15 1.48 1.40
Average non-EPSCoR state value na na na na na na 1.27 1.58 1.50
 
United States 2,046,150 2,071,260 1,888,050 127,420,190 135,185,230 130,287,700 1.23 1.53 1.45
Alabama 27,880 25,000 23,770 1,817,240 1,945,300 1,824,400 1.21 1.29 1.30
Alaska 6,420 6,950 6,730 290,740 307,790 318,700 1.77 2.26 2.11
Arizona 41,120 46,960 37,860 2,275,410 2,637,830 2,414,340 1.35 1.78 1.57
Arkansas 11,950 13,470 12,160 1,118,690 1,176,050 1,155,020 0.90 1.15 1.05
California NA 248,640 246,680 14,460,860 15,212,610 14,303,630 1.20 1.63 1.72
Colorado 40,620 37,480 33,200 2,097,650 2,302,340 2,226,160 1.43 1.63 1.49
Connecticut 30,530 31,020 26,880 1,631,610 1,697,810 1,620,620 1.34 1.83 1.66
Delaware 8,060 9,170 7,190 403,650 425,210 405,750 1.26 2.16 1.77
District of Columbia 12,590 11,310 11,880 595,220 635,500 653,760 1.15 1.78 1.82
Florida 98,180 94,870 78,110 7,217,400 7,771,740 7,273,850 1.16 1.22 1.07
Georgia 55,790 49,960 48,930 3,770,430 4,068,270 3,815,530 1.05 1.23 1.28
Hawaii 6,260 7,090 6,570 557,400 612,420 588,210 0.82 1.16 1.12
Idaho 10,350 15,520 12,350 563,200 650,240 598,540 1.38 2.39 2.06
Illinois 82,440 78,950 71,670 5,719,150 5,910,630 5,640,740 1.04 1.34 1.27
Indiana 40,000 36,430 35,600 2,851,210 2,927,620 2,811,920 1.08 1.24 1.27
Iowa 17,140 19,560 17,410 1,413,220 1,502,600 1,470,740 0.95 1.30 1.18
Kansas 18,870 20,380 17,460 1,292,170 1,374,560 1,320,920 1.13 1.48 1.32
Kentucky NA NA 17,330 1,719,620 1,817,860 1,764,750 0.90 1.03 0.98
Louisiana 25,330 25,160 23,430 1,851,870 1,887,370 1,868,210 1.13 1.33 1.25
Maine 8,630 8,450 7,540 591,750 604,150 581,110 1.12 1.40 1.30
Maryland 50,380 47,210 48,880 2,448,580 2,561,530 2,510,680 1.45 1.84 1.95
Massachusetts 61,960 64,150 63,310 3,130,720 3,234,860 3,202,080 1.37 1.98 1.98
Michigan 91,840 72,440 67,450 4,310,420 4,142,750 3,918,120 1.75 1.75 1.72
Minnesota 48,000 47,300 45,380 2,591,720 2,704,860 2,641,110 1.37 1.75 1.72
Mississippi 11,220 14,790 10,630 1,089,350 1,138,210 1,080,420 0.82 1.30 0.98
Missouri 38,990 37,420 30,340 2,623,020 2,740,170 2,605,910 1.14 1.37 1.16
Montana 6,280 NA 8,050 394,820 444,090 432,380 1.29 1.52 1.86
Nebraska 12,500 10,780 10,290 879,550 928,120 914,830 1.12 1.16 1.12
Nevada 11,430 13,310 11,270 1,086,110 1,278,230 1,127,160 0.87 1.04 1.00
New Hampshire 9,450 10,410 9,280 607,570 634,570 612,710 1.16 1.64 1.51
New Jersey 74,830 68,530 57,440 3,878,020 3,986,310 3,793,720 1.42 1.72 1.51
New Mexico 17,250 16,560 16,120 747,050 819,480 773,860 1.84 2.02 2.08
New York 110,090 126,730 106,730 8,236,200 8,633,580 8,542,280 1.02 1.47 1.25
North Carolina 57,700 62,530 50,890 3,702,170 4,063,420 3,878,800 1.19 1.54 1.31
North Dakota 4,270 4,710 4,870 314,620 350,360 403,290 1.06 1.34 1.21
Ohio 76,140 68,590 NA 5,308,270 5,323,130 5,054,250 1.11 1.29 NA
Oklahoma 19,180 20,040 21,810 1,416,640 1,557,750 1,529,900 1.08 1.29 1.43
Oregon 27,040 31,440 29,410 1,537,000 1,706,740 1,609,900 1.38 1.84 1.83
Pennsylvania 85,860 82,850 NA 5,494,430 5,705,170 5,596,480 1.19 1.45 NA
Rhode Island 6,610 6,600 5,430 477,320 478,420 453,020 1.07 1.38 1.20
South Carolina 26,510 27,370 22,870 1,764,170 1,892,690 1,796,550 1.20 1.45 1.27
South Dakota 4,000 3,990 4,040 364,970 395,960 398,680 0.95 1.01 1.01
Tennessee 35,840 31,230 30,050 2,614,830 2,755,800 2,657,280 1.06 1.13 1.13
Texas 162,020 186,370 163,880 9,248,660 10,391,420 10,579,400 1.41 1.79 1.55
Utah 19,090 23,910 21,620 1,043,500 1,230,320 1,200,850 1.43 1.94 1.80
Vermont 4,900 4,450 4,390 291,400 301,130 294,090 0.88 1.48 1.49
Virginia 66,840 62,770 61,190 3,412,070 3,670,980 3,597,100 1.48 1.71 1.70
Washington 50,050 NA NA 2,560,190 2,868,910 2,764,080 1.54 1.95 NA
West Virginia 9,770 8,530 7,910 680,200 717,740 710,540 1.19 1.19 1.11
Wisconsin 38,190 41,160 37,050 2,687,400 2,776,690 2,673,280 1.11 1.48 1.39
Wyoming 3,450 4,210 4,170 240,730 283,980 278,040 1.13 1.48 1.50
 
Puerto Rico 11,440 10,750 10,640 962,000 999,010 942,080 0.99 1.08 1.13
 

na = not applicable; NA = not available.

EPSCoR = Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

NOTES: United States total includes states with suppressed data. For an explanation of EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR averages, see the chapter introduction.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey (various years).

Science and Engineering Indicators 2014


State Data Tool

The state data tool allows interactive exploration of the 58 indicators in this chapter. Users have the ability to choose and explore a single indicator in-depth, compare multiple indicators for preselected groups, customize their own graphics, or download data tables. Click the button below to get started.

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